Mara's Right Hook
by Eradyne
Summary: Mara encounters a bold and ruthless holo-reporter who immediately gets on her bad side. One shot, connecting piece after Duel of the Fates.


This is a one shot between Duel of the Fates and the third chapter in my little AU (still untitled) which I am hard at work on have no fear.

You might want to take a look at my two previous stories A Touch of Destiny & Duel of the Fates before you engage in this one shot otherwise it may not make a lot of sense. Fair warning.

Just a funny little piece that popped into my mind and had no place in what I am currently writing. Enjoy…_Mara's Right Hook._

* * *

Mara pulled her hair back into a tight ponytail; it was time for her workout. She had been so uncomfortable in the last few months of her pregnancy when she had grown so huge and cumbersome that she resolved to get back into her former shape as soon as possible.

Other than her ample nursing chest she had completely succeeded…that isn't saying that her Jedi husband didn't enjoy the changes in her curvy form but she found it bothersome to say the least. She had never done very well with change. She was happy to see her abs re establish themselves, but she wanted to keep it up.

Luke liked to tease her that no one would know she'd even been pregnant if Anakin wasn't with her at the moment; Mara was flattered by his compliments. He certainly wasn't stingy with them, good thing she wasn't the kind of woman who desperately needed them.

She began to jog as soon as she hit the exit to their apartment building, when a frantic voice stopped her.

"Mrs. Skywalker! Mrs. Skywalker!"

She turned and grimaced, she should have just kept running.

She recognized the woman immediately it was Bitsy Shar'lock she was one of the most famous holo-reporters on Coruscant.

She had begged the Skywalkers relentlessly for an exclusive interview after Luke had mysteriously risen quite alive, though an amnesiac she still wanted his "_perspective"_.

She'd known that she would have to be very tenacious to obtain an interview with the reticent family. After the Empire had fallen she'd begged for an interview promising everything from obscene amounts of credits to additional protection for their family provided she got exclusive coverage into their story. After the baby was born and Luke got his memory back the frenzy began again.

Of course they had refused, Anakin had spoken for the entire family, "This is our lives, not some sensational holo-story. I don't want our family involved in this circus."

Bitsy was well known for her provocative reporting, and this was not something that any of the Skywalkers wanted to engage in.

She clambered towards Mara, dressed in the tightest pink ensemble Mara had ever seen, and this coming from the woman who favored some pretty tight ones.

Her blond hair was curled wildly, and her wildly pink lipstick seemed to have a mind of its own as it sparkled on her lips. Bitsy was a pretty woman, but she was shrewd and anyone who knew her reputation knew that she didn't give up easily.

Also, she had been told on _several_ occasions that there wasn't going to be any interview. _Ever_.

Mara sighed, her Jedi teachings told her to accept all being with civility, but the fiery temper part of her that she'd known for much longer wanted to do something else.

She asked with false civility "Ms. Shar'lock, how are you today?"

Bitsy wasted no time, "More importantly Mrs. Skywalker, how are you and your family? How is your son? You named him Anakin didn't you?"

Mara cleared her throat; damn this lady didn't know how far she'd already gone. Mara was protective of her family, tenfold when it came to her baby.

She refused to go down this road and answered curtly, "Everyone is fine. If you'll excuse me…"

Mara was cut off rudely, "What is your response Mrs. Skywalker to those who say that your family is no better than Palpatine, coming in and seizing power where it was not yours to grab?"

Mara took a deep breath and turned to walk away but the bold reporter snatched her by the arm arresting her momentum.

Mara felt her body stiffen and her hands balled into tight fists as she eyed the woman's bony hand grasping her elbow and said with a warning tone of voice, "You need to let me go. _Now_."

* * *

Luke felt Mara's intense irritation coursing through their bond and yelled to L'wren, "Can you watch Anakin for a few moments L'wren I need to go check on something?"

L'wren smiled, 'Of course Master Skywalker take your time."

Luke muttered to himself as he walked out of the apartment, "Hopefully I won't have to. But knowing my wife's history that's less likely."

* * *

The woman released Mara but continued firing off inappropriate questions, "Were you really a concubine of the Emperor's?"

Mara lashed out, "What! You have got to be kidding me, no I was _not_."

Bitsy smiled broadly, "Well there has been substantial evidence to the contrary. But if you _claim_ that you were not then how do you respond to the claims many factions around the galaxy are making that your son's father is not Luke Skywalker but truly Emperor Palpatine?"

Mara lost it, she pulled her right arm back and swung her fist directly into the pretty reporters face making fierce contact with her wide open jaw with a resounding _THWACK_!

* * *

Luke made it downstairs just in time to see Bitsy fall to the ground.

He ran over to the women and pulled Bitsy to her feet, "Are you all right?" he asked looking at his wife who shrugged unbothered shaking her head at the holo-reporter.

Bitsy clutched her jaw tightly, "No, I think-_ouch_!"

Luke looked at her jaw closely, "It may be dislocated. You'll need to go to a medical center. Do you have someone to drive you?"

Mara looked at her husband aghast, this man just too too nice. Plain and simple.

Bitsy motioned to the nearby holo-news speeder where a man sat in the driver's seat reading a holozine clearly unaware of the violent exchange which had just taken place.

Mara threatened putting her finger in the holo-reporters face, "You _EVER_ report anything about my son and you will have more than a dislocated jaw to contend with do you understand?"

Bitsy looked terrified of Mara; Luke looked at his wife and asked, "What did she ask you to make you react this way?"

Mara stared the holo reporter down as she answered, "Well, _first_ she asked me if the Skywalkers were any better than then Empire grasping power for ourselves. Then she asked if I was one of Palpatine's concubines…"

Luke sent Bitsy a hard look, and Mara continued, "Oh yes, then she asked if our son was really fathered by Palpatine, not you."

Luke's jaw dropped and he felt his own blood begin to boil he asked incredulously, "You're kidding me right?"

Mara continued to glare at the rapidly bruising young woman and shook her head.

Luke turned and said with no small amount of anger in his voice, "Ms. Shar'lock you were _clearly_ out of line do you agree?"

Bitsy replied painfully grasping her jaw, "The public needs to know."

Luke responded trying to channel his own jedi-calm, "I am sorry you are injured but your questions are baseless and offensive. Steer clear of my family in the future, for your own well-being. Do you understand?"

She scowled at the couple, and responded her face clearly beginning to swell "This isn't over. I will know the truth."

She sent daggers towards Mara who couldn't resisting feigning a lunge at the woman, who yelped in fear and nearly fell again as she staggered towards the holo news speeder.

* * *

The couple stood and watched her speed off.

Luke chuckled, "I leave you alone for two seconds."

Mara scoffed, "Please! I had it handled until she started asking some pretty off the wall _garbage_. Next they'll be asking about you and your sister's illicit relationship, or Padme's heavy affair with Chewbacca.I mean honestly, where do you think they dig up this poo doo? "

Luke shook his head, "Who knows. You let her get the better of you. You can't do that, just be the bigger person."

Mara smiled, "I was. She isn't _dead_. That's as big as I'll get when someone insults my family."

Luke nodded, "I understand, and I feel like you were pretty justified here. Next time just walk away."

Mara put her hands up, "Hey, I tried. She snatched my arm."

Luke laughed, "Ha! Really? I'm surprised you didn't pop her right then."

Mara blew the air out of her lips, "Oh I wanted to, trust me. Then she just starts in on this whole Palpatine thing and yeah I lost my temper. She was WAY out of line though."

Luke nodded, "Yeah definitely."

Mara asked, "Think they'll report this whole exchange?"

Luke kissed Mara's forehead, "I doubt it after you threatened her. I'll have mother make a few phone calls and make sure it's hushed up."

Mara replied, "Sorry about that."

Luke smiled brightly at her, "So much for a quiet life eh?"

She rolled her eyes, "Hey, I was provoked! She's lucky I didn't hack her in half with my lightsaber when she brought up Anakin in the first place. Contrary to what you might think I don't go looking for fights!"

Luke put his hands in the air surrendering, "Hey, I didn't say you did. But maybe you decided that you didn't want to jog, maybe you wanted another kind of exercise?"

Mara looked him up and down and said huskily, "I could think of a couple exercises I would rather engage in than jogging. Punching a little smart mouth reporter isn't one of them."

Luke caught onto her licentious way of thinking and added "L'wren is watching Anakin."

Mara nodded, "I see. Think we can sneak in?"

Luke laughed, "Past our force sensitive son and your hyper alert handmaiden? No I don't think so."

Mara sighed, "Damn. Jogging it is then."

Luke asked, "Want some company? We could always steal into a dark corner?"

She shook her head returning his broad smile, "Okay you can come with me. No dark corners, the holo news would have a field day if they caught us. Imagine your poor mother having to 'hush' _that_ up!"

Luke burst out laughing, "All right, that's very true. Good point my brilliant spouse."

Mara rolled her eyes again, he had a bad tendency to lay it on a bit thick. "Come on then. Try and keep up."

Luke smiled, "No problem there. I'll race you."

Mara sighed as he took off quickly, "I'm pretty sure Jedi aren't allowed to cheat!"

* * *

Stay tuned for more...

Thanks for reading, please review.

~ Eradyne


End file.
